The Maldives Tour; Maldives is a Tropical Nation in the Indian Ocean composed of 26 coral atolls, which are made up of hundreds of islands. It’s known for its beaches, blue lagoons and extensive reefs. The capital, Male, a busy fish market, restaurants, and shops on Majeedhee Magu and 17th-century Hukuru Miskiy (also known as Old Friday Mosque) made of coral stone.

History

Since Ancient Times, The Maldives were ruled by kings and occasionally queens (Ranin). Historically Maldives has had a strategic importance because of its location on the major marine routes of the Indian Ocean. Maldives nearest neighbors are Sri Lanka and India, both of which have cultural and economic ties with Maldives for centuries.

The Maldives provided the main source of cowrie shells, then used as a currency throughout Asia and parts of the East African coast. Most probably Maldives were influenced by Kalingas of Ancient India who was earliest sea traders to Sri Lanka and Maldives from India and was responsible for the spread of Buddhism. Hence ancient Hindu culture has an indelible impact on Maldives’s local culture.

After the 16th century, when European colonial powers took over much of the trade in the Indian Ocean, first the Portuguese, and then the Dutch, and the French occasionally meddled with local politics. However, these interferences ended when the Maldive became a British Protectorate in the 19th century and the Maldivian monarchs were granted a good measure of self-governance.

Maldives gained total independence from the British on 26 July 1965. However, they continued to maintain an air base on the island of Gan in the southernmost atoll until 1976. The British departure in 1976 at the height of the Cold War almost immediately triggered foreign speculation about the future of the air base. Apparently, the Soviet Union made a move to request the use of the base, but the Maldives refused.

The greatest challenge facing the republic in the early 1990s was the need for rapid economic development and modernization, given the country’s limited resource base in fishing, agriculture, and tourism. Concern was also evident over a projected long-term rise in sea level, which would prove disastrous to the low-lying coral islands.

Culture

Culture of Maldives derived from number of sources, the most important which is proximity to shores of Sri Lanka and South India. The population is mainly Indo-Aryan from the anthropological point of view.

Language

The Dhivehi language of Indo-Iranian Sanskrit origin and closely to Sinhala, points at later influence from the north of subcontinent. According to legends, the kingly dynasty that ruled the Maldives in the past has its origin there.

Buddhism

The ancient kings may have brought Buddhism from the subcontinent, but it is not clear. In Sri Lanka, there are similar legends, but it is improbable that The ancient Maldives royals and Buddhism came both from that island, because none of the Sri Lankan chronicles mentions the Maldives. It is unlikely that the ancient chronicles of Sri Lanka would have failed to mention the Maldives if a branch of its kingdom had extended itself to The Maldives Islands.

Arabian

Since the 12th century AD, there have also been influences from Arabia in the language and culture of the Maldives, because of the general conversion to Islam at that time, and its location as a crossroads in the central Indian Ocean.

African

In the islands’ culture, there are a few elements of African origin as well, from slaves brought to the court by the Royal family and nobles from their Hajj journeys to Arabia in the past. There are islands like Feridhoo and Maalhos in Northern Ari Atoll, and Goidhoo in Southern Maalhosmadulhu Atoll where many of the inhabitants trace their ancestry to released African slaves.

Places to Visit in Maldives

1) Male
2) Maffushi City
3) Addu City
4) HulHule Island
5) Hanimaadhoo
6) FuvahMulah
7) DharaVandoo
8) Kullhuduffushi
9) Villingili